By Moonlight
by Relinquished
Summary: [dropped] The thing werewolves fear most is moonlight. Remus Lupin is no different. But with the Marauders at his side, what is there to worry about? Two foreigners come to England, one with the complexion of moonlight . . .HP-YGO x-over
1. Holidays and Close Friends

****

By Moonlight

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I own Yugioh, much as I'd love to.

Summary: The thing werewolves fear most is moonlight. Remus Lupin is no different. But with the Marauders at his side, what is there to worry about? Two foreigners come to England, one with the complexion of moonlight . . .

Warnings: Yaoi (slash) and a little angst. Sirius/Remus Seto/Ryou – also oldies Albus/Minerva. These pairings kick-ass! I love saying 'kick-ass' for some reason . . . maybe because I'm too lame to think of anything else. Oh well, it'll do until I can think of something else. Maybe a bit of swearing. I haven't written a plain Seto/Ryou since . . . well, for months now. It's always Ryou and someone else first and then Seto/Ryou at the end. About time I wrote for only them! OOC

Author's Notes: I love Harry Potter and I love Yugioh. That's why I decided to write a crossover. My favourite HP characters are McGonagall, Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus! My favourite YGO characters are Ryou, Seto, Ryuuji and Malik. Eight kick-ass characters!

Oh yeah, this fic is set in the time of the Marauders, that is, Harry, Hermione and Ron etc do NOT exist. I don't particularly like them, actually. I like the previous generation of characters better – they're cooler!

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Chapter One: Holidays and Close Friends

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__

"Remus! Remus!"

Ten-year-old Remus Lupin stumbled over to where his parents were sitting under the shade of a large tree. It was dark, very dark. The only thing he could see clearly in the dark was his parents. Otherwise, it was black all around him.

All of a sudden, something echoed a howling cry. A werewolf came bounding toward him, howling and gnashing its teeth. His parents had disappeared. He stood, rooted to the spot, rigid with fear and shock. He could do nothing as the werewolf pounced onto him, sinking its huge teeth into his side.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

--------

Remus' eyes flew open and he was panting heavily. That dream again . . . he had been having it for years now, ever since he had been bitten. His hand unconsciously went to the side of his torso. The bite had left a scar, but that was all. He was healed pretty well, but it was the after effects that really scarred him.

"Moony?" a tired voice asked from across the dormitory.

"Are you all right, Remus?"

He watched his friends sit up and rub the sleep from their eyes. It was the night before the beginning of the summer holidays of their fifth year at Hogwarts. Soon, they would be back on the train home and it would be a lonely summer again. James Potter, who had spoken first, looked at him.

"What's wrong, Moony?" he asked again.

"N-Nothing," Remus lied. "Just had a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" Sirius Black, the other speaker, repeated. "It's about . . . _that_ isn't it? The nightmare, I mean."

Remus sighed. His friends knew him too well. His eyes went to the fourth member of their dormitory, Peter Pettigrew, who was still sleeping soundly. Remus was glad that Peter was a deep sleeper. He had always felt closer to Sirius and James and felt more comfortable telling them about his problems.

"Yeah," he breathed quietly, "it was about that again."

"It's two weeks until the next full moon," Sirius said. "Don't worry. We'll come to keep you company. Just . . . tell us when you dream something like this again, all right? It's good to talk."

The other boy smiled weakly. Yes, James and Sirius were great friends. Not that he was saying _Peter_ was a bad friend. It was just that the fourth member of their group was not much in the moral support department. With his condition, Remus needed a lot of moral support, a boost in confidence. Sirius and James, the two bighead egos of the school, provided him just that.

"Have you considered my invitation?" James asked brightly. He wanted to change the subject. "Mum said that I can invite two people over. Peter has to go to his grandparent's place for a family reunion, so that means I can invite you guys along. It'll be great!"

"Are you sure you don't want to invite _Evans_?" Sirius teased.

James blushed faintly and threw his pillow at the other teen, who was laughing. Remus smiled at their antics. They always made him feel better.

"Shaddup, Black!"

"Nah, mate, I'll be there," Sirius said.

"I'll come too," Remus added quietly. "I'll be alone otherwise. My parents and sister are going to France for the summer."

James had to sigh for his friend's misfortune. Every since Remus had been bitten by the werewolf, his family had practically excluded him from all activities. They rarely let him go on trips overseas with them, saying that he was a potential threat to the people there who didn't know of his condition, and he often had to spend the summer alone. Christmas he spent at Hogwarts with his friends.

"Moony, you should move in with my family," James said seriously. "At least you'll know that you'll have _one_ of us with you when you transform over the summer."

He had made this proposition many times before, since they had discovered Remus' identity as a werewolf. He didn't like the fact that, when Remus' family had found that there was no cure for a werewolf bite, they had almost completely abandoned him. They still gave him financial support, yes, but it went no further.

"Thanks, James, but no thanks." It was the same answer every time.

"Think about though." Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, Moony, think about it. It'll be better for you and we'd get to see each other more often during the holidays."

"Running away again are we?" Remus said bemusedly, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well obviously." Sirius rolled his eyes. "Try living with my excuse for family for a summer. Horrible, I tell you. I don't know why they insist I come home anyway, they'd be much happier acting as though Regulus was their only son."

The door to their dormitory opened and all three held their breaths. The outline of an adult came into view, but then went away again. It was too dark to see anything. When the footsteps died away, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought we'd be caught," Remus sighed.

"Yeah sure," James shrugged, "whatever."

"They're not gonna punish us for staying up."

"Go back to sleep, guys." Remus lay back down and pulled the covers up. "I'll see you in the morning."

--------

"Seto, stop frowning."

"I'm not."

"Don't lie, Seto. You're frowning, now stop it."

Seto Kaiba (A/N: I'm writing their names the Western way, because the majority of people reading this won't understand Japanese) sighed and followed his companion out of the train carriage. He had no idea why he had decided to come to England anyway.

"Come on Seto!"

He felt his companion, Ryou Bakura, tug him on the arm impatiently. There was a wide smile on the albino's face and his dark brown eyes were shining. Seto's blue eyes softened and the creases left his brow. The reason he had come all the way to England from Japan was because of Ryou, his best and only friend.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He ran fingers through his sable hair. "You need more patience, Ryou."

To be honest, Seto had never really been able to communicate with any of his peers before he had met Ryou. There was a barrier of sorts between him and the rest of the world. Maybe it was his money – owning a multi-billion dollar gaming company certainly got in the way of many things.

He had had a cold attitude to anyone he considered inferior, and he still did, but not as badly. Ryou had helped him loosen up over the years and he was now as dear to him as a brother. That was, especially after his younger brother, Mokuba, died from cancer last year. Ryou had stuck by him when everyone else just gave him sympathetic looks. And now Seto would do anything for Ryou.

"You _have_ to see my father's collection," Ryou was saying brightly. "I swear, it's wonderful! Nothing compared to _yours_, of course, but it's his life's collection."

"Calm down, Ryou. You're getting hyperactive."

Seto had a passion for games, thus his gaming company. Ryou's father collected games, as did Ryou, and they had a huge, varying collection to almost rival Seto's. Or so Ryou told him. The CEO of KaibaCorp was still waiting for proof of the albino's claim.

Ryou stopped in his tracks and turned around to face him. His dark eyes were soft and warm. Seto blinked at him in confusion. Why had the smaller teen stopped all of a sudden?

"Thanks for coming Seto," Ryou said quietly and sincerely. "I really appreciate it. I mean, you must have had a lot of work to do . . ."

"Ryou," Seto sighed. He clasped the boy's shoulders. "I wanted to do this. You're my friend and I'll do anything for you. Understand?"

"Yes, all right." Ryou hugged him tightly. "Thanks."

"No problem. Anything for you."

Ryou was his reason for doing anything.

--------

Consequently, coming out of the same station, were the four Marauders. James was welcomed by his family with open arms, receiving many hugs and kisses from the female members. His father clapped him on the back and they shared a laugh.

Remus and Sirius looked on almost wistfully. Peter had long gone, having been picked up at the platform. The werewolf would never have a family who would 'risk' coming in physical contact with him. They always found an alternate way to communicate what they wanted without having to touch him. He hadn't felt the warmth of an embrace for five years.

"When will you guys be coming over?" James asked, coming over to join their group. Sirius shrugged, while Remus shook his head.

"Dunno."

"Remus Lupin?" a voice asked.

It was a teenager around their age, with thick, sable hair and sapphire blue eyes. Remus thought he looked oddly familiar, though he didn't remember when or where he had seen him before. At the boy's side was another, shorter and paler boy. He had pale, silvery hair with dark brown eyes. He would pass as an albino, Remus decided, if not for the eyes.

"Excuse me?" the first boy asked again. "You _are_ Remus Lupin, right?"

"Yes I am," Remus said slowly.

"I'm Seto Kaiba," the brunette replied. "I recently had a business deal going on with your family."

"Oh . . . oh!" the werewolf nodded in recognition. "I remember you! You're the CEO of the biggest gaming company in Asia!"

"CEO?" Sirius and James chorused, whistling lowly. "At _his_ age?"

The second newcomer laughed quietly, his brown eyes dancing.

"You _always_ get that reaction, Seto," he said. Turning to them, he introduced himself with a bright smile. "I'm Ryou Bakura."

"Sirius Black."

"James Potter."

Remus eyed Ryou closely. "Is your father Yaten Bakura, the professor on archaeology?"

"He's not exactly a _professor_," Ryou admitted. "But he does work on archaeology."

"What's archy . . .?" Sirius and James asked.

"Archaeology," Remus sighed. "It's a way of finding out history by digging up objects that have been left by previous civilisations. I attended one of Professor Bakura's lectures once. It was very interesting, actually."

Seto regarded them curiously, suspicious.

"You have _no idea_ what archaeology is?"

"Hey, we never studied stuff like this," Sirius protested. "And what can a Muggle like you . . ."

"_Sirius_," his friends reprimanded. "Shut up."

Ryou titled his head to the side in confusion. Sirius and James had to admit that he looked rather . . . cute like that. Almost as if he were a girl. They also noticed that he was standing rather close to Seto. But that would have been part of their imagination. Seto raised an eyebrow at the word 'Muggle', but dismissed it when Ryou tugged on his sleeve.

"We'll see you guys around someday," Ryou chirped. "Come on, Seto!"

"Coming, coming."

They left, Ryou latching onto Seto's arm one moment, then walking backwards the next. Remus thought they looked a bit like a couple on a date, but quickly brushed that thought aside. The world's youngest CEO couldn't _possibly_ be gay. They were just good friends. But if he was, Remus didn't blame him. Ryou was rather attractive in a feminine way.

--------

__

Hey Moony,

It's boring over here. When are you going to come over? Sirius made it in record time – not even four days! Looking forward to seeing you!

Prongs

Remus crumpled up the parchment with a smile. Trust Sirius to try and get away from home as soon as possible. The house was really quiet now, with his entire family gone overseas to France. He would be able to go soon.

But his mind wandered over to Seto Kaiba and Ryou Bakura. He had briefly seen Seto at a social evening at his place, when his parents had invited many guests. The CEO was fourteen then, which was two years ago. Remus remembered wishing that he was as good as Seto, as perfect and as smart. It was in the summer of his third year at Hogwarts.

Seto had definitely gotten taller and he looked maturer. He would say that Seto was withdrawn, but that wasn't so. He had shown little emotion when they first met, keeping small talk at a bare minimum, but today proved different. Seto had approached _him_ first and _he_ had started the small talk. And hadn't he shown emotion – affection – when talking to Ryou?

And Ryou Bakura puzzled him. The boy was the son of one of the best archaeologists in England, so he would have been raised here too. But he was with _Seto Kaiba_, a Japanese CEO, who would have obviously been raised in Japan. So how did that work? Did the boy live alone in Japan?

And Ryou reminded him of what he feared most – the moon. His father, Yaten, was tanned and stood out like the sun. Ryou was slim, pale and sweet. He was not like a normal teenage boy, which was the part that worried Remus the most. On the outside, he appeared to be a chirpy, happy teenager, but his eyes carried a trace of enigma, as if he were hiding something behind the warmth. He wondered if anyone else thought the same.

Chiding himself for thinking too much, Remus began his reply to James' letter on a new sheet of parchment.

__

Prongs,

I will be over in around a week or so. I just have to take care of a few things first. See you very soon.

Moony

--------

Seto knocked on the door connecting his and Ryou's rooms. A muffled 'just a second!' came through the wood, before a small crash. He winced when Ryou yelped in pain, but the boy soon came to the door, rubbing his arm painfully.

"Seto?" he asked, smiling despite his pain. "You want some company?"

"Yeah, please."

"Come in, then!" Ryou pulled him inside and closed the door behind him. "I'll always offer company to my best friend!"

But he knew that Seto only came because he needed someone to stay with him. The CEO appeared strong, but inside he was emotionally unstable. Ryou had discovered that early into their friendship and had tried his best to be with him at all times. Seto relied on him to be there, and vice versa. He had made this request for the albino to keep him company many times before and Ryou was more than happy to comply.

"Do you want to stay here tonight, or shall we just talk until you fall asleep?"

He half-hoped that Seto would choose to stay. He knew, however, that if the CEO _did_ choose to stay, it was when he was the most dependent on him.

"I want to stay."

Ryou nodded happily, picking up the overturned chair near the door. Seto sat down on the bed and waited for Ryou to join him. The albino did so, still smiling.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

"Not really."

"Hungry?"

"We just ate."

"Thirsty?"

" . . . "

"Well . . . do you want to go to sleep then?"

"All right."

Ryou pulled back the covers and they both got in. They had done this many times before, enjoying the comforting feeling of each other's presence, nothing more. Many people thought they were dating because they were closer than normal friends, but both of them knew it was not so. They just happened to be able to make up for each other's weaknesses and faults with their good points.

"I miss Mokuba," Seto's voice said brokenly. Ryou's eyes grew saddened and he wrapped his arms around Seto's chest. "He used to always be here, wherever I went. I could always count on him to be there when I needed him."

Seto drew Ryou closer, clenching his eyes shut. Somehow, whenever he did this, he would always feel as if Mokuba was with him, in his arms. Ryou gave him the same feeling of security he had had with Mokuba and he welcomed it. Mokuba had been the dearest person to him in the world, his only family. He had trouble, at first, believing that he had gone. But Ryou filled in that gap.

"Sh, Seto . . ." Ryou whispered.

"If I lose you too, I think I might just die," Seto told him. "Don't go away like everyone else has. You'll stay, right?"

"Of course," Ryou promised. "Just – don't speak of death. Go to sleep, Seto."

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End Chapter One

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Author's Notes:

First chapter done! How did you like it? This is my first anime/book crossover. Well, except that LOTR/Fushigi Yuugi crossover that got absolutely NOWHERE. It's semi-AU, and OOC, but that's okay, right?

And I've heard people fret about how close friends can get physically. Who cares? Seto and Ryou, at this point, are close friends – _very_ close, I'll grant, but friends nevertheless. There is nothing more than friendship in the last scene. Don't get dirty thoughts (yet).

Don't flame me if you didn't like it. I warned you about slash and OOC-ness. You have no basis to flame me on. I don't appreciate flames – constructive criticism, yes, but not flames. Also, I am not American, nor am I British. English is not my first language. I live in Australia, so my spelling may differ from yours.

REVIEW!

Relinquished


	2. Warmer than Home

By Moonlight  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I own Yugioh, much as I'd love to.  
  
Summary: The thing werewolves fear most is moonlight. Remus Lupin is no different. But with the Marauders at his side, what is there to worry about? Two foreigners come to England, one with the complexion of moonlight . . .  
  
Warnings: Yaoi (slash) and a little angst. Sirius/Remus Seto/Ryou – also oldies Albus/Minerva. These pairings kick-ass! I love saying 'kick-ass' for some reason . . . maybe because I'm too lame to think of anything else. Oh well, it'll do until I can think of something else. Maybe a bit of swearing. I haven't written a plain Seto/Ryou since . . . well, for months now. It's always Ryou and someone else first and then Seto/Ryou at the end. About time I wrote for only them! OOC  
  
Author's Notes: I love Harry Potter and I love Yugioh. That's why I decided to write a crossover. My favourite HP characters are McGonagall, Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus! My favourite YGO characters are Ryou, Seto, Ryuuji and Malik. Eight kick-ass characters!  
  
Oh yeah, this fic is set in the time of the Marauders, that is, Harry, Hermione and Ron etc do NOT exist. I don't particularly like them, actually. I like the previous generation of characters better – they're cooler!  
  
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Chapter Two: Warmer than Home  
  
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The door to number 12 Grimmauld Place was thrown open with a huge 'bang!' by an enraged teen. Shouts and roars were heard from inside, as well as shrieking, when the black-haired teen stormed out, school trunk in tow. Sirius Black strode out, throwing out his wand arm.  
  
The Knight Bus came into view and he barked instructions, handed over some money and got on. A couple came running out from the house, the man shaking his fist and shouting something. The woman was shrieking at the top of her lungs, hands on hips.  
  
"SHUT UP WOMAN!" Sirius roared at her. He had thrown open the bus window and stuck his head outside. "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU THINK!"  
  
With that, he went back inside and slammed down the window. The bus driver started the engine and they sped off. Huffing angrily, Sirius sat down on one of the beds next to his school trunk. No one dared talk to him.  
  
"Stupid woman," he cursed. "Don't give a damn about pure-bloods."  
  
"Sirius, you ran away again."  
  
Sirius looked up. Sitting across from him was Remus, smiling wanly. The gentler teen was watching him in exasperation as he bad-mouthed his parents and family. Sirius grinned back at him sheepishly.  
  
"Yo, Remus," he said.  
  
"You really should keep your temper in check."  
  
"I want to, seriously," Sirius protested. Remus raised an eyebrow. "Well, all right, I don't do much to keep it in order. But it's all their fault, I swear! If they didn't make me so angry . . ."  
  
"Sirius."  
  
"All right, all right. Sorry, Remus."  
  
Remus leaned on his battered school trunk and regarded Sirius with a sigh. The teen was unruly and had no heed for rules, which was why he constantly got into trouble. He had an inflated ego – not as inflated as James', granted, but inflated nonetheless. Remus frequently wondered how he was going to be able to watch him, as he had been instructed by Dumbledore to do. Instead of making sure they didn't get into trouble, or cause it, he found himself going along with whatever they did.  
  
"On brighter note," Sirius said suddenly, "James and I think we've got the gist on how to actually escape from the castle into Hogsmeade."  
  
"Sirius," Remus hissed. "Not so loud!"  
  
"Hehe, sorry."  
  
"Sometimes I wonder if you know when it's time to shut up about certain topics in certain places," Remus sighed. "It gets us into trouble more often than not, you know."  
  
"I know, I know." Sirius leaned back onto his trunk as well, expression cocky. "Why don't we reminisce about old times?"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like how James took off Snivelly's pants," the other teen snickered.  
  
"That was just plain stupid," Remus sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We got into so much trouble by Professor McGonagall afterwards."  
  
"I didn't hear you complaining at the time."  
  
"That's because – well, it was still wrong."  
  
"Admit it, Moony, you enjoyed it."  
  
"Looking at Snape's greying underwear? No, I didn't."  
  
"You liked it."  
  
"That's gross, Sirius."  
  
--------  
  
"OI GUYS! ABOUT TIME!"  
  
James bounded over like an overly hyper puppy as Sirius and Remus got off the Knight Bus, looking slightly green. They had almost crashed into another double-decked bus on the way here, narrowly avoiding almost ten sheds in the countryside and nearly killed God-knows-how-many animals.  
  
"I must say, the Knight Bus isn't a transport I'd choose willingly," Remus said weakly. "I'm just glad we got here in one piece."  
  
"Ditto," Sirius agreed. He turned back to the driver on the bus. "THAT WAS THE WORST BLOODY EXCUSE FOR DRIVING I'VE EVER SEEN!"  
  
"I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU DRIVE!" the driver roared back. "AND I GOT YOU HERE, DIDN'T I? WHY CAN'T YOU TEENAGERS SHOW SOME RESPECT FOR A CHANGE?"  
  
Sirius made an extremely rude gesture as the Knight Bus sped around the corner, tyres screeching. Remus and James hit him over the head. They went inside, greeted by James' parents enthusiastically. Remus loved this place, as Sirius did as well. It was warm and inviting and there seemed to always be love everywhere. Certainly their houses weren't the same.  
  
"I heard you arguing with the Knight Bus' driver, Sirius," Mrs Potter said, looking at the culprit sternly. "What was that all about?"  
  
"Uh – well, you see . . ." Sirius muttered sheepishly. Remus and James grinned at each other. Mrs Potter was the only one who could make Sirius stutter. ". . . Uh, his driving was bad?"  
  
"And that gives you reason to yell at him?"  
  
"Uh – no?"  
  
"Do you admit you did something wrong?"  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"Good boy."  
  
With a wicked grin, Mrs Potter patted Sirius on the head fondly and walked back into the kitchen. When she disappeared, Remus and James cracked up. It was amusing to see big headed Sirius acting ashamed and sheepish about doing something wrong. Sirius flushed angrily and resorted to chasing them around the house when they didn't stop.  
  
They ran up to James' room and collapsed on the floor, tired out.  
  
"Mate, that was uncalled for," Sirius panted. "You guys are so evil."  
  
"My mother can keep you in check no problemo, buddy."  
  
"Still, you have to admit, it's rather amusing to see you admit to doing something wrong," Remus added.  
  
"Hey, I don't think that's very nice, Moony," Sirius complained.  
  
"You don't even stumble when McGonagall catches you in the act," James pointed out. "As I always say: GO MOM!"  
  
He dodged an aptly thrown Quidditch figurine, laughing. Remus grinned as he watched his two best friends throwing things at each other like they were still seven years old.  
  
--------  
  
Ryou opened the door to his father's London flat. It was a small, cramped apartment with limited space, only big enough for Ryou's father himself to live inside. Ryou never really liked to live with his father, who hid almost everything about his personal life from his only remaining child.  
  
"Father?"  
  
Yaten Bakura wasn't home. Ryou sighed. He had actually been looking forward to seeing his father again after five years. Ever since he had moved to Japan, Ryou had found it increasingly difficult to see his father, who was often away on archaeological digs, or in London. A comforting hand rested on his shoulder.  
  
"Maybe we should come back later," Seto said.  
  
"Yeah, maybe," Ryou said quietly. "This is a pretty busy time at the university. He might be back later."  
  
"Don't look so unhappy." Seto's hand reached over and gave him a hug around the shoulders. "We're here for another month or so, right? We have plenty of time to see your father."  
  
"I was looking forward to introducing the two of you," Ryou murmured unhappily.  
  
"We'll get the chance." Struck by an idea suddenly, Seto hugged the albino again. "Why don't you show me some of the collectables you have in here? I was looking forward to seeing your games."  
  
"Sure, why not?" The other boy brightened almost instantly. "Come on, then, it's in the back."  
  
Ryou went ahead, a light bounce in his step. The CEO smiled and shook his head at the other's ability to throw away sadness in an instant. He would never be like that, which was perhaps the reason why they had become fast friends. Ryou complemented him well. He was the better part of him.  
  
"Come on, what are you waiting for?"  
  
"Nothing much." Seto allowed himself to be tugged away by an overly bright Ryou, who wore a bright smile as he led the way to the back room.  
  
"This is the only room in the apartment that I can actually use," the albino chirped. He opened the door. "It's too small to be a bedroom, as my father says, so I just keep the things I couldn't take to Japan in here.'  
  
As soon as Seto saw the room, he knew that Ryou was indeed a game-lover. In his apartment in Domino, Japan, Ryou had had many board games, card games, computer games and miniatures in his 'game room'. But that was nothing compared to what he kept here.  
  
In the centre of the room were four tables. The largest one held a game Seto knew well: Monster World. It was Ryou's favourite game and the only one that he could beat the CEO and number one gamer at. The table next to it was a chess set and the one next to that was Seto's professional game: Duel Monsters, or Magic & Wizards. He created technology for this game and that was what his company specialised in. It earned him millions a month.  
  
The last table was Dungeon Dice Dragons, a game invented by one of their classmates, Ryuuji Otogi (A/N: for the dubbed-viewers, Duke Devlin). Seto scowled at the thought of the dark-haired, green-eyed teen. Ryuuji Otogi was one of the most popular males in their school, a pretty boy with a habit of flirting with anyone – male or female – who caught his interest.  
  
And, to Seto's immense dislike, Ryou had happened to catch his interest. Not that the CEO could blame him. Ryou was one of those people who could walk into a room and then all heads would turn in awe. He knew, because he had been victim to that at one stage. Ryou walked past him to the Monster World table and Seto sighed inwardly. Sometimes he still was.  
  
"This is amazing, Ryou," he noted, looking around at the numerous games displayed in shelves around the room. "I don't think I've seen this many games in one room."  
  
"Nonsense, Seto," Ryou laughed. "The Kaiba Mansion has much more than this. Compared to your collection, this is but a drop in the ocean."  
  
--------  
  
After checking out the games, they went out for lunch. By this time, something had started nagging at the back of Seto's mind.  
  
"Ryou, I need to ask you a question."  
  
The albino looked up from his meal, blinking in confusion. Seto jabbed his lunch with his fork a tad too forcefully. Several carrots went flying. They both paid this no mind, as both were focused on what Seto had to say. The CEO swallowed and met Ryou's dark eyes.  
  
"Your father – why doesn't he let you live with him?"  
  
Ryou's face dropped and his eyes grew saddened. Immediately, Seto wished to take his words back. He hated to make the albino unhappy. Opening his mouth to make an apology, Seto found himself being cut off by Ryou.  
  
"It's a long story. When I was six, my mother and my sister died in a car accident back in Tokyo. Since then, my father came back to England, where he was born, and took me with him. He worked late nights and didn't come home until I was asleep. It took me a while, but I figured that it was because I looked too much like my mother for him to bear so he stayed away. Finally, he moved me to Japan when I was eleven and he stayed in England. I've only really ever spoken to him face-to-face three times in the last five years."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Seto," he replied with a smile. It didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm over it. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to."  
  
But the fact that it had hurt him at all was enough to make Seto's blood boil. How could that man send his own, eleven-year-old son to Japan by himself for his own selfish reasons? From what Ryou had told him before, Seto had thought that Yaten Bakura was a good father despite the fact that he rarely came to see his son. But Ryou made it sound like the reason his father left was his fault.  
  
"It's not right for you to live alone." Seto put down his fork and folded his arms. "When we go back – no, scrap that. I'm calling the servants and they're moving all your things to the mansion. You're going to move in with me."  
  
"You don't have to do that, Seto," Ryou protested. "I'm perfectly fine living alone. It'll be too much of a bother to you, having me around the mansion."  
  
Seto held up a hand to stop the flow of protests from the other teen. He had made up his mind and it was impossible to keep him from achieving what he wanted now. Ryou insisted he didn't have to help him out all through the meal, as Seto paid the bill and as they walked down the street. Finally, Seto couldn't take anymore and turned to face him. The albino stopped, surprised at the change in attitude from the CEO.  
  
"S-Seto?"  
  
The CEO led him around the corner, hand grasping his elbow firmly. When they had turned into a deserted side street, Seto pinned Ryou to the wall. The dark eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"I'm taking care of you," Seto said firmly. "You're the best and closest friend I've ever had and I'm not going to see you live alone. I don't know what you think, but you are the most important person in the world to me. There will be no arguments, because I always get what I want. Understand?"  
  
"Seto . . . you – you promise you won't regret it and that I won't bother you?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
Ryou's eyes filled. No one had ever treated him as well as Seto did now. It had been a long time since someone had shown such compassion towards him and he couldn't help but cry. Seto's determined expression softened considerably and he held the smaller teen quietly as he sobbed into his shirt.  
  
"You're too nice to me, Seto," Ryou sniffled after a while. "For five years, all you've done is give. Everything you've done has benefited me, but I haven't done anything for you. I – I don't know if I should tell you this but . . ."  
  
He pressed his lips to Seto's cheek in a chaste way, blushing. Seto blinked in surprise, holding a hand to the place where Ryou had just kissed. Did the other have those feelings towards him? Ryou leaned against the wall, looking downward shyly, a faint pink blush spreading across his cheeks.  
  
"Ryou . . .?"  
  
"When I'm with you, there's this warm feeling . . . it's better than how I felt when my mother and sister were still alive. I-I don't know if you feel the same or not, and this'll probably ruin our friendship, but I really do have feelings for you."  
  
--------  
  
"Is it time?"  
  
"Not yet."  
  
"When?"  
  
"Three more days."  
  
"Oh." A pause. "Are you sure they'll meet?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
--------  
  
Remus sighed as he stared out the window of his room. The moon was almost at its fullest and soon he would have to begin his transformation. He wasn't looking forward to it at all. He grimaced. The transformation was painful and he hated it. Not to mention the fact that he lost all control of his mind when he was a werewolf.  
  
"Hey, no sweat, Moony. We'll be there remember? Prongs and I'll keep your werewolf in check."  
  
"If only it were that simple." Remus sighed again. Sirius watched him, a sad expression in his normally bright eyes. "The transformation hurts, even more than the duration of being a werewolf. At least I don't feel anything when I'm a werewolf. If I got to choose, I'd rather stay that ugly beast than go through the transformation process."  
  
"Remus, we're here for you." Sirius clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder comfortingly. "Remember, we're friends and friends never ditch each other. James and I will never ditch you."  
  
"Thanks, Sirius. But if we ever got found out – especially Professor Dumbledore . . . I don't want to get into trouble."  
  
"I know you don't." Sirius grinned. "That's why Prongs and I are gonna take 'special care in concealing this fact. And we'll keep Wormtail from blabbing out anything. That silly twit would talk under pressure, I betcha."  
  
"Don't be so unfair to him. Peter's a very nice person and he wouldn't talk."  
  
"He's dodgy," Sirius said stubbornly. "If it weren't for the fact that he already knew so much about the three of us, I'd get rid of him for good."  
  
"That's horrible Sirius!"  
  
Remus reached out to hit Sirius over the head with a pillow playfully, only to have the other fling it back with his arm. That started a pillow fight as soon as James came out of the bathroom and joined them in the room. It continued on until Mrs Potter came in and told them to go to bed, sounding very much like Professor McGonagall back at Hogwarts.  
  
--------  
  
End Chapter Two  
  
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Author's Notes:  
  
I've decided that I like soccer, but I'm a real newbie at this sport, so I wanted to know whether you guys know anything about it. Things like teams that are good, any special players I should note and the general game rules and all. I've really started to like soccer . My favourite position is GK.  
  
And I hoped that this chapter was good. I'm an impatient person and I really wanted Seto and Ryou to get together (come on, they've known each other for five years . . . and they're closer than normal best friends are anyway!). What should Seto say in reply to Ryou's feelings? I've made up my mind, but I want to know what you guys think!  
  
Since this fic is going to be a Sirius/Remus, I need a way of getting them to like each other! Any ideas? I don't want anything too corny, or something that's too common. Something that I can write so that it makes people remember it. I'm picky . . . sorry about that ;  
  
Anyway, could you guys please tell me more about soccer?  
  
REVIEW!  
  
Relinquished 


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